Nigeria River Goddess Festival Tour

2025

Tour itinerary can be seen below.

1 02/08/2025

Arrive into Lagos

• Arrive in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city. Our driver will meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel.

• Overnight in Lagos.

Day 0 photo 1

2 03/08/2025

Lagos Island

• After breakfast, we will head out to the National Museum. Next, we go west to visit several historical sites in the town of Badagry, a former slaving port.

• Return to Lagos and stay overnight.

Day 1 photo 1

3 04/08/2025

Floating Village of Makoko

• Morning visit to the floating village of Makoko where a 3rd of the community is built on stilts along the lagoon.

• Drive to Lekki Conservation Centre to spend time in nature. Spot wildlife like monkeys, peacocks and crocodiles whilst taking the trail over the canopy walks.

• Overnight in Lagos.

Day 2 photo 1

4 05/08/2025

Olumo Rock

• Drive north to the Yoruba city of Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State. The city’s key attraction is Olumo Rock, believed to be the site where the Egba clan hid during the Yoruba Civil Wars. The rock also features remains from ancient settlements. Occasionally worshipers come to the shrine to collect donations.

• Overnight in Abeokuta.

Day 3 photo 1

5 06/08/2025

Sacred Grove of Osun

• After breakfast we’ll visit the traditional head of the kingdom and spiritual leader of the Yoruba. We then head to the Oranmiyan Staff and other historical sites of Osun State.

• Continue to Osogbo, home to the Sacred Grove of Osun—one of Nigeria’s few UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We’ll have time to explore the Sacred Grove of Osun with its fantastic sculptures of the Yoruba deities hidden throughout the trees. If we’re lucky, we’ll also see monkeys running around the site.

• Go to an Orisha temple, where Ife priestesses will teach us about their sacred beliefs.

Day 4 photo 1

6 07/08/2025

Ilorin

• Drive on to Ilorin; a majority-Muslim city with a mixed culture from the Yoruba and Fulani dynasties. Here we'll visit the Esie Museum, which houses the largest
collection of soapstone sculptures believed to have been excavated in 1775 AD.

• In the afternoon, we’ll visit the pottery and weaving quarter and the Palace of the Emir of Ilorin, before travelling back to Osogbo to stay overnight.

Day 5 photo 1

7 08/08/2025

River Goddess Festival

• Today is the festival of the Osun River Goddess! Make sure you bring cameras along because it’s a rare opportunity to witness the festival and see the local people displaying their cultural heritage.

• We’ll witness masquerade performances plus the procession of Arugba Osun, which features a virgin girl carrying a sacrifice for the goddess from the palace to the Sacred Grove of Osun.

• We’ll end the day tour of Osugbo by visiting the Nike Art Gallery and cultural centre before driving back to Lagos to spend our last evening together.

Day 6 photo 1

8 09/08/2025

Departure / Optional Extension

• Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

• For those taking the optional extension to Abuja, we will depart very early morning from Lagos. We'll have a full day visiting sites such as Millennium Park, Ushafa pottery village, arts and crafts market and the national mosque.

• Overnight in Abuja

Day 7 photo 1

9 10/08/2025

Tour Ends

• Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Details

Includes:
  • - Single room accommodation throughout tour
  • - Nigerian visa support letter
  • - English speaking local guide
  • - Lupine tour leader throughout tour
  • - All transport throughout tour
  • - Airport transfers
Excludes:
  • - Nigerian visa
  • - Visa fees
  • - International flights
  • - Personal travel health insurance
  • - Extension to Abuja £345 (includes single room and transport)
Prices:
  • Tour Price: £1845
  • Deposit: £450
  • Single Room Supplement: £
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